Type-writing machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. T SMITH. Y TYPE WRITING MAGHINE. N0. 143,3547. Patented Dec. 30,1890. fij yff E x s A i 5 5 Q a. A 1

IHIHIIIIII (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. T. SMITH. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 443,547. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROS\VELL T. SMITH, OF NASIIUA, NE\V HAMPSHIRE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,547, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed April 22, 1839.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROSWELL T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the class of printing-machines shown and described in my application filed March 8, 1888, Serial No. 266,523, and is an improvement upon the same.

The object of my improvement is to make a more simple and less expensive machine than that shown in the aforesaid application, and one which will produce better results. I accomplish the desired results by the devices shown and specified in the accompanying description and the drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan of my machine. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig.1 on line 00 as. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the type-wheel. Fig. 4 is an enlargement of the right-hand half of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a rear plan. Fig. 6 is a detail of registering device. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of sliding bracket, spring, and pin. Fig. 9 is a top view of the bottom plate of the carriage, showing the ink-pads. Fig. 10 shows a modified form of the central shaft and the knob which turns it.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.

A is the platform upon which the paper to be printed rests, whether it is a sheet or leaf of a book, and over which the carriage may travel upon lines at right angles to each other. This platform may be made of any material, and is preferably made so thin as to be readily inserted betweenthe leaves of a book in such a way that the leaf may be printed upon.

A shows brackets extending from the side of the platform A, said brackets being bent so as to raise the bar A to a desired elevation above A, as indicated in Figs. 4t and 5. This bar A has grooves A' cut in it. These grooves determine the spaces between different lines of printing upon the paper resting upon the platform. Upon the bar A is the sliding bracket A The rod A is joined rigidly to the sliding bracket A and furnishes Serial No. 308,232. (No model.)

the guide for the right and left hand move ments of the carriage, and also furnishes the fixed rack A which is the basis for the righthand movement of the carriage. The outer end of this rod is held parallel to the platform by the stud A. The sliding bracket A is held in its relationto the bar A and prevented from sliding thereon by a point A which enters the grooves A said point being held in the groove by a spring A and being removed from connection with the groove by pressure upon the thumb -piece A The bracket A and the rod A may be raised from the platform, turning upon the bar A in a vertical plane at right angles to the said bar, leaving the platform free to fix paper upon it, or for reading the printing-wheel may be upon the paper.

A is a sheet of paper or the leaf of a book resting upon the platform, said leaf being held in position by the spring-clamp A.

Having described the platform, rods, and parts necessary to hold the paper to be printed and to give proper guidance to the carriage, I now describe the carriage and feeding and printing devices mounted upon and carried over the platform by said carriage.

B is the carriage, which consists of an inverted cup or box. A central vertical shaft B projects through the top of said cup, which has bearings in the central portion thereof (bearings 13 for the feed-shaft B. Brackets B B, extending from the side of said can riage, furnish bearings through which the carriage receives guidance from the rod A, and a dial B which serves to locate the letters to be printed, and a pointer B The carriage slides freely upon the rod A and its side next to the rod is preferably held up from the paper by the rod A the left hand of said rod being held parallel to the platform by the stub A. The opposite side of the carriage preferably rests upon the wheel B, but both sides may rest upon wheels or upon rods. This carriage is a convenient vehicle for the working parts of the machine. Of itself it has no other function. It conveys said working parts and it furnishes suitable bearings and support for the same. The front of the carriagemay be lifted from the platform and turned upon its connection with the rod A in a vertical plane at right angles to said rod, said vertical plane being at right angles to the vertical plane on which the rod may be lifted from the platform, so that an operator may inspect the printing as it progresses. Extending across the carriage 13 is the shaft 13, mounted in bearings B lpon the front end of this shaftis the key 13 Atthe rear end is the crank-arm 13", having an extended dog B projecting from its end and normally resting at the angle shown, Fig. This dog engages the rack A on rod A in such a way that when the key 13 is depressed the carriage is slid along through the action of the crank-a rm and dog. After the key has been depressed and the carriage moved the key, shaft, and cranle arm are brought back to their normal position by spring l lxtending vertically through proper bearings in center of carriage is the shaft B Above its bearings it has the knob 13, the use of which is to give vibration to the shaft and its connecting parts. Projecting through a semicircular slot B in the bearing of said shaft and extending from the shaft through this slot is the pointer B, which extends to the dial B", and revolves in the slot with the shaft, so as to be used for pointing out any letter or symbol placed upon the dial.

Inside of the carriage B, I place the inking and printing device. The inking device consists of an inking-pad 13, which is secured to the bottom of the carriage 15, over which the type in its revolutions passes and from which it receives its ink. The printing device consists of a segment 13*, which is secured to the lower end of shaft 13 and always revolves with it. This segment carries the type 13*. type, as shown, are made of rubber secured to or are a part of a circular sheet of rubber, and are held securely to the segment B, extending around it and always moving with it but the type may be mounted on springs or in any other convenient way. Projecting above the segment B extends a series of slots Ba slot for cachletter or symbol-and placed in exact relation to said letteror symbol from the bearings of the shaft B and hinged to it, extends thelatch B The outer end of this latch is held in lateral position through its engagement with slot 13. Projecting downward from this latch is the impres' sion device or hammer B". Extending from the lip of key 13 is the pin B", which, when the key is depressed, forces the impression device or hammer down upon the type and the type down upon the paper beneath it through an opening 13in the carriage-bottom. By the same movement of the key the latch is made to register with the slot 13". Upon the dial I place an alphabet, a set of nu morals, and such symbols as may be wanted. Corresponding type are placed upon the typo-segmentin such order as to present to the printing-pivot the same letter, numeral, or symbol as the pointer indicates on the dial.

Ilaving set forth the various parts of my The machine and their functions,l now describe the method of using the same.

An operator seizes the dog 13" and draws the carriage to the left-hand side of the platform A. He then takes hold of the knob B with the right hand and turns the pointer to the letter, numeral, or symbol upon the dial which he wishes to print. This will bring a C0l'lOSI')Ol1tllll type beneath the p rinting-pivot B. The operator then with the left hand depresses the key B This forces the latch 13 to register with the slot 13 and the hammer mounted upon the latch to strike the type and compel it to print upon the paper, when the key is released and the operation is repeated. As I place an ink-pad on each side of the opening in the carriage-bottom, through which each type projects as it prints, it is obvious that in moving the type-segment, so as to bring the required letter or symbol in position to be printed, the type must of necessity be constantly passing over the ink-supplies, and consequently are always ready for printing. After printing a line the operator presses the spring and slides the bracket 011 the bar. Then drawing the carriage to the lefthand side of the platform the machine is ready for a new line.

llaving described the various essential parts of my printinganachine and the working thereof, I will now describe an element which makes the handling of the type-adj usting device much easier and pleasanter to an operator.

Referring to Fig. 10, I place on the shaft 13 a beveled gear 0, which engages the beveled gear C, placed upon the horizontal shaft C. One end of this shaft is supported by the bracket C and has upon its outer end the knob C. Upon the shaft H I place the hearing (1 and upon the shaft C the bearing C. These bearings are connected together by the yoke C The bracket C extends from the outer rim of the carriage B at any convenient part thereof, leaving the pointer 13 free to turn entirely around the top of the carriage and the dial to extend to a full circle. In this way an operator is enabled to see the full circle of the dial, so that the carriage may be much reduced in size. It is evident that the operator by turning the knob C secures the same results as he would by placing the knob at B", with the additional advantages resulting from its location. It is also evident that the shaft C may be horizontal or at an angle to the top of the carriage so long as the gear are suitable for such incline, the object of said shaft being to remove the knob from the center of the carriage, so that the operators hand will not come between the dial and his eyes.

It will be observed that in the modification shown by Fig. 10 the bearings of shaft 13 above the pointer are removed, so that the pointer will have full liberty to swing around the circle.

I claim- 1. In a printing-machine, in combination with a platform upon which a sheet of paper may be placed, a bar placed at one side of the platform having stated intervals upon it for line-spacing, a sliding bracket having a point adapted to engage the groove in the bar andhold the bracket to fixed relation to said bar, a guide-rod extending from the sliding bracket at right angles to the bar over the surface of the platform and adapted to swing in a vertical plane above the platform, a carriage having brackets adapted to allow its sliding in a line parallel to that of the rod and to swing from the platform 011 a vertical plane at right angles to that in which the guiderod may swing, a device for giving a step-bystep movement to the carriage along the guiderod, and a printing device mounted upon said carriage.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a suitable means for holding the paper to be printed, and a device which may give guidance and step-by-step movement to acarriage in two directions at right angles to each other over the surface of the paper, said carriage carrying a printing device and a'feed device for its movement in one direction, and being capable of swinging from the bed of the machine in two vertical planes at right angles to each other.

3. I11 a printing-machine, the combination of a suitable support for paper to be printed upon a guide-rod provided with a rack which lies parallel to the line of printing, and a carriage having sliding connections with the gnide-rod and carrying a feeding device consisting of a key, a crank, and dog receiving vibration from the key through a horizontal shaft and adapted to act upon the rack on the guide-rod to propel the carriage in a step-bystep movement, said carriage having a central shaft whieh supports and actuates an indexpointer, a type-carrying wheel, a registering device, and means for giving rotary movement to the said central shaft.

4. In a printing-machine, the combination of a suitable support for paper to be printed upon, a guide-rod provided with a rack which lies parallel to the line of printing,acarriage having sliding connections with the guiderod and carrying afeeding device consisting of a key, a horizontal shaft, a crank, and dog adapted to engage the rack upon the guiderod and to give step-by-step movement to the carriage through force applied to the key, said carriage having a central shaft which supports and actuates an index-pointer, a type-carrying wheel, a registering device, and said key for giving vibrating movement to the shaft, and a latch placed upon a line which radiates from the central shaft and is adapted to engage the registering device and to cause the letter registered beneath itto print upon the paper when the latch is forced down upon.

the type through the action of the key, said latch being normally removed from connection with the type-registering device.

ROSWELL T. SMITH.

- Attest:

O. L. LOVELANI), A. T. SMITH. 

